


Brum and the Apocalypse

by Sashataakheru



Series: The Disturbance Universe [2]
Category: Brum (1992), The Move RPS
Genre: Community: Apocabigbang, Dragons, Gen, Road Trips, Werewolves, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, may destroy your childhood, zombie dragons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-17
Updated: 2011-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:18:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set mid-2007. Brum wakes up one morning to find that the terrible storm that had raged for two days is over. Eager to get out and explore the Big Town again, he discovers the city has been abandoned and the only person he finds is a strange man reading cards on a street corner. With no one else to turn to, Brum follows him, and finds himself drawn into a battle to stop the zombies and the dragon that's controlling them. It comes down to three old men, two old werewolves, and a little yellow car to save the rest of the world from further destruction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brum and the Apocalypse

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [apocabigbang](http://apocabigbang.livejournal.com/). Beta by desiredeffect. [Art by thegeneral](http://thegeneral.insanejournal.com/518114.html).

The storm had come out of nowhere, bringing with it stinging rain and vicious thunder and lightning. Brum decided it was not worth going out to explore the Big Town until the storm was over. Indeed, the museum man hadn't even come to open up the museum, leaving him unable to sneak out even if he'd wanted to. He was left alone with the other cars in darkness, hoping the storm would pass sooner rather than later.

Two days later, the storm had dissipated. Brum woke up in darkness. That wasn't how it usually happened, but maybe the storm had cut the power. Brum had not slept well, and he'd been woken by strange noises that had kept him up until he'd finally fallen asleep. He felt he should go see his friends, make sure they were okay after the storm. Eager to get going, he revved up his engine and slipped past the rest of the sleeping cars and towards the door he usually used.

He stopped in the doorway to the workshop as he noticed the nice man wasn't even there for him to slip past. In fact, the place was a mess. Tools and bits of workbench lay scattered and broken. The incomplete car the man had been working on was lying against a wall, its shiny metal dented and scratched. There were splashes of some sort of red liquid on the floor leading up to the door, which was hanging from only one of its hinges; the rest of the door was snapped and splintered apart.

"I wonder what happened here?" Brum said as he surveyed the damage.

The nice man was still nowhere in sight, and Brum began to get a little worried. Maybe some of the strange noises he heard had been the storm damaging the museum. He couldn't think of anything else that might've made such a mess, apart from burglars. Maybe they were even looters, breaking in to steal whatever they could find!

The possibility of burglars was eliminated when, a moment later, part of the roof fell in, covering the rest of the cars with dust and rubble. Brum thanked his lucky stars he had not been in there. Obviously, the museum had taken quite a lot of damage, and it was no place for a little car to stay. He must go into the Big Town and see if any of his friends might let him stay for a while. Maybe he'd find the museum man too and tell him what happened.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I must find someone who can help," Brum said as he watched the dust settle from the fallen roof.

His mind made up, Brum turned his back on the damage and pushed his way through the broken door and set off into town. The weather seemed to be much better now, even with the ominous clouds still hanging around. It wasn't until he had travelled down several empty streets and found absolutely no one that he realised there was something wrong. The town had taken some damage too, and it appeared there was no one in the city at all no matter how far he travelled. It was as if the whole city had been abandoned, the people driven away by the savage storm. He had never heard of such a thing happening before.

He went back to the park. Maybe there was a shelter and everyone had gone there instead to keep out of the storm. But no, the park was just as empty as the town. Even the duck pond had lost its ducks and a tree had fallen into it, uprooted with great violence.

The first person he came across was a man sitting on a street corner, dealing out cards in front of him that he seemed to look at for quite some time as if they meant something important. He had long dark hair that hid his face, and he wore long colourful robes. A busted up old white electric guitar sat by his side. It had long since lost its strings and looked like it had seen better days.

"Excuse me, but have you seen where all the people went? Why is the city so empty?" Brum said as he approached.

The man didn't look at him but kept on dealing cards. He looked at them as if noting which ones showed up before picking up the cards and shuffling the deck again, only to repeat the action. They didn't look like ordinary playing cards. They had strange pictures on them and weird symbols and Brum didn't understand them at all.

"Same thing happened forty years ago, except it didn't get this far. They were stopped at the Welsh border and burnt to a crisp. But it's different now. They were always going to try again. They can't touch me, but they'll touch everything else. If you happen to find anyone alive out there, lad, be very surprised," the man said, looking at the cards again. Brum hadn't noticed that the same cards kept coming up in the same order no matter how many times he shuffled them. "This is a bad time to be out. You should go home."

"But my home has been damaged. The roof fell in and the nice man who looked after me is gone. The other cars didn't even talk to me this morning. Where else am I supposed to go?" Brum said.

"Well, I guess that means you're on your own then. If you see any zombies, run like hell," the man said.

Brum was confused. He had never heard of a zombie before. "What's a zombie? Are they bad?"

"They're bad, alright. They're dead people who've come back to life and they feast on human brains, amongst other things. Nothing to do but smash their heads in and run, but you don't want to meet them," the man said.

Brum wasn't entirely sure he understood, but whatever they were, he decided they didn't sound like the sort of people he wanted to meet. "Can I come with you? I don't know if I should be out here on my own, and I don't have anywhere else to go. The roof fell in. It might be dangerous if I go back home."

The man stopped shuffling his cards, gathered them up and placed them in a little box, which was slipped into his jacket pocket. "Alright, but you stick close. Lemme know if you see any zombies."

The man got to his feet, guitar in hand, and Brum followed him around the corner and down the street. There was more destruction to be found, shop windows smashed, doors broken, debris everywhere. Brum had trouble picking a path through the mess and the man he was following had to help him out every now and then if he came upon something he couldn't get around. Brum was only a little car, after all, and he wasn't strong enough to push big branches out of the way.

* * *

The man led him to the town hall. It had also been damaged by the storm, though it appeared to have withstood the onslaught better than some of the other buildings nearby. The square was littered with debris, smashed cars that had failed to make it out in the rush, and there were corpses spread about, though they didn't look much like corpses anymore. That same red stain that was in the museum workshop covered the bricks and Brum began to feel very afraid. The man was right. Something very bad had happened.

There were two large wolves perched on the ledge between the columns, and they leapt down to the ground as the man and Brum approached. They looked at the little car warily, wondering why their friend had brought it with them. Brum backed away, not sure he was welcome there.

"I thought you were scavenging for food," one of the wolves snarled. "That car is not food."

"Oh, come on, he's all on his own. I couldn't just leave him out there, not a little one like him," the man said. "And I did get food, just not quite what you asked for. It's worse than last time. Everything's contaminated. There's hardly anything worth eating out there. There's only so much I can plan for, you know."

The wolves looked a little disappointed at the meat offerings, but ate them anyway. Brum had no idea what they were and he hoped he would not be considered dinner at any point. They didn't much look like proper wolves either, even though their bodies were covered with brown shaggy fur and they had tails that swished gently as they ate. They seemed to be somewhat bipedal though they could walk on all fours, and used their front paws more like human hands though they had claws rather than fingers. They were bigger than real wolves as well, especially when they stood up on their back legs and Brum discovered that they were much taller than the man beside him.

"What happened to them? Are they people who got turned into wolves? What happened last time?" Brum ventured as he watched the two wolves sit down and curl up beside each other.

The man sat down and began dealing out his cards again, shuffling and dealing, five cards each time, and didn't reply immediately. Brum waited, unsure if he should interrupt him.

"Last time, they came from Wales. The city was nearly destroyed. We were some of the few to survive and we managed to get out in time. But that was forty years ago. We were much younger then. But it's worse this time. I was dreaming about them coming again since 1968. I knew they were coming and I knew it'd be much worse. There were survivors last time. People got out alive and the city survived. This time, the whole country's affected. You noticed how empty the city is, didn't you? I'd assume everyone is either dead, or a zombie. If anyone is alive out there, they're probably hiding, and if they're still alive, I doubt they'll be like that for much longer. I firmly believe last time was a trial run. This time, there'll be no escape. I don't have to warn you not to touch any of the bodies if you can help it. I don't want to lose you too," the man said, not bothering to look at Brum. He gestured to the two wolves. "As for them, well, they used to be werewolves. You know what werewolves are?"

Brum had thought he'd heard about them somewhere, but he wasn't sure. "Are they a big type of wolf?"

"They're human most of the time, except they turn into that wolf form there when there's a full moon. Except it wasn't a full moon the last time the zombies came, and they were forced to transform into their werewolf forms. They've never been able to change back since then so I figure they're not werewolves anymore. Don't know what else to call them except wolves, which they seem happy enough with," the man said.

The man gazed at his friends and wondered if they still liked being wolves. It had destroyed their lives, and they'd been forced into the wilderness when they got back. Their friend Ace stubbornly stuck with them and kept them out of trouble, but the man hadn't heard from him in years. He wondered where he was.

"I think we have to go back to Wales. I think we're the only ones who can stop this. They'll have ravaged the entire country by now and they'll be on their way to the Continent. From there, the rest of the world. Whatever's causing this, we need to stop it before it has a chance to get any further. Go find Ace and Trevor. We'll go find a car," the man said.

"What chance do we have? We don't even know what we're up against. And we now have a little yellow car with us. How is that going to help?" one of the wolves said.

"He's here for a reason. The cards won't tell me why, but he has to come too. Get moving. We shouldn't stay here too much longer. Meet back here as soon as you can," the man said. He dealt one last lot of cards, still the same five cards that had been coming up before, and seemed content with them at last. He gathered them up and put them away again.

The wolves nodded their agreement and headed off. Brum watched them go, wondering what Wales was like and what they'd find there. He slowly approached the man and wanted to know what was going on.

"Will I be able to help? I'm good at catching bad people, you know," Brum said.

The man smiled down at him and patted his bonnet. "I think you'll be just fine. Have courage. You'll need it."

* * *

Brum followed the man through the town as they checked every vehicle that wasn't badly damaged to see if they could get into it. Brum wasn't sure stealing someone else's car was a good idea, but things were different now. A big storm had come, zombies had come, and now things were different. Perhaps stealing a car wasn't so bad, given what had happened.

The vehicle they ended up picking was an old white 4WD they'd found in a car yard. It had somehow managed to miss being damaged by being tucked away beside the building, rather than out in the open. Brum waited outside while the man broke into the building to find the keys. Brum tried to look brave as he watched out for any zombies.

The street was very quiet. There was no one about, and certainly Brum didn't see any zombies. He wasn't sure what one would look like anyway, but that wasn't the point. He ventured out into the car yard and looked around, seeing if any zombies might be lying underneath the cars, just waiting for them to get too close. It made him feel braver, being on the lookout, especially when he didn't find anything and returned to the car they'd picked to find the man waiting for him.

"Been scouting, have you? Any danger out there?" the man said.

"I couldn't find anything. I think we'll be okay," Brum said confidently.

"Good work. Come on, I'll get you in the car and we'll go refuel before heading back to the town hall," the man said.

Brum liked that idea, though once he was in the car and saw how small it was, he wasn't entirely sure it would hold three humans, a little car, and two big wolves. Still, maybe it would, and there would be nothing to worry about. Secured in the back so he could keep an eye out the back window for anyone who might be coming for them, Brum settled as the man revved the engine and drove off.

* * *

It had taken another hour to find a petrol station that was still functioning enough to give them some fuel. Brum chose to ignore the man breaking into the little shop to steal some food supplies and a few large bottles of water. He had decided that when zombies came, and no one else appeared to be alive, it might perhaps be alright to take things that didn't belong to you if you needed them to survive. But only when there were zombies about.

The man returned with a cooler full of food and he set it in the back beside Brum, charging him with keeping it safe. The cooler still had a price tag on it, as if it too had just been stolen, but Brum wasn't about to question it. In a moment, they were driving again, heading back into town to meet the two wolves.

* * *

Brum wasn't sure what to make of the group before him. They'd arrived back at the town hall and the two wolves were pacing agitatedly while their human companions watched silently. They were old men, like the man from the museum, and Brum wasn't sure old men should be fighting zombies. Still, they didn't look like they were all that frail, and they both carried what Brum took to be weapons, bats and axes, a few rifles, and a handful of grenades. Fighting zombies obviously required serious weapons. The man greeted them, and there was a weary sense of dread as they embraced.

"Are these some of your friends?" Brum asked.

"Yeah, that's Ace and Trevor," the man said, introducing them in turn. "This is - what did you say your name was, lad?"

"I'm Brum, but you never asked me what my name was, you just told me to follow you. I don't even know who you are either. Are we really going to go fight zombies? Isn't that going to be scary?" Brum said, not so sure he wanted to go with them.

"Well, zombies are scary, but they are pretty easy to kill-"

"Unless there's a big swarm of them. Then it's not so easy," Ace cut in.

"Generally speaking, it's easy to kill 'em. You just cut their heads off. Much easier than bloody werewolves, I can tell you. Oh, and you can call me Roy. We'd better get moving before they cross the Channel," the man said.

"You reckon they'll get that far? Zombies aren't that fast, not the ones we've seen up north," Trevor said.

"Nah, just yer regular slow shuffling kind. How can they get to the coast in two days?" Ace said.

"It's the storms. They're coming from all over the country. All they need are some zombies to stow away on one of the ferries and it'll spread even further. A whole boat load will arrive in France and it'll start all over again, accompanied by the storms, and they'll spread all over the Continent. This plan is not designed to fail, I can promise you that," Roy said.

"Roy? D'you think I'll end up like Carl and Bev? It's not a full moon," Ace said tentatively, hoping he was being clear enough.

Roy looked him over, understanding his words. "Oh, is that where you've been the past few years? I missed you. You could've said something, you know."

"It-it happened by accident, and it took me a long time to adjust. Figured I'd keep away from you. I didn't want it happening to you too. Keep you safe, an' all that," Ace said. "Been useful killing those zombies though. It's mad fun as a werewolf. Pity I didn’t stay that way once the moon set."

"Hey, are those zombies over there? Those people over by that building?" Brum said, distracted by the group of people shuffling slowly towards them.

Everyone turned to see the group approaching. It was hard to tell how many of them there were there, but there were definitely more than six of them. They appeared to be coming from one of the buildings across the road, though who was directing them was unclear.

"Are we going to fight them? How do you fight zombies?" Brum asked.

"Leave it to us, we'll sort them out. Stay out of their way and let us know if you see any more coming," Roy said.

Brum thought this was a good idea. He kept back as they grabbed their weapons of choice and charged at the zombies. It was a little horrifying, Brum thought, watching their bodies collapse to the ground with their heads smashed in. He did not like this one bit and he wished he was back in the museum with his friends, safe and sound.

Instead, he drove around the square, looking for any more zombies as a distraction from watching the fighting. The city was very strange, now that it was so terribly empty. There were more bodies around, and more destruction, and Brum wondered what had sent such a terrible storm to their city. A shrill cry sent Brum back to the square where the battle still went on, with more of the zombies coming from one of the buildings. His friends were fighting hard, but they just kept coming. Maybe Brum should be brave and help them. If he could just find a way to stop them coming out, they could escape!

Scouting around the back of the town hall, he approached the zombies from behind so he could see where they were coming out of. He was too small for the zombies to see, and since he was a car, they appeared to be ignoring him, especially when there were humans waiting to be eaten.

A closer inspection of the door the zombies were coming out revealed that it was being held open by a large chunk of wood. If he could get rid of that wood, the door would shut, and the zombies would be trapped. Then his friends could finish off those left outside and they could escape! It was a good plan, Brum thought, and he waited til there was enough room for him to get past the zombies and move the wood out of the way. He had to back off quickly before he was hit by the door and the zombies, and a few took swipes at him as he drove away as fast as he could.

Feeling a little braver, Brum drove around to help his friends with the zombies, and he found he could effectively knock them off their feet if he hit them in the right place so that they fell down to the ground. It certainly made them easier to kill and Brum quickly learnt to get out of the way as their heads were either blown off or decapitated.

There was an eerie silence in the air when it was over. Bodies remained where they fell, and blood was spattered all over Brum and the others. The door where the zombies had come from was holding steady, as if it was too heavy for them to push open and there was no one around to open it for them.

The two wolves sat down and began cleaning the blood from their fur, keeping an ear out for any more trouble. Roy took a seat on a low ledge, catching his breath. Brum went over to him and wondered what they were going to do next.

"Killing zombies was so much easier when we were young, hey? I'd forgotten how tiring it could be," Roy said as Ace and Trevor came and sat next to him, looking just as tired as he did.

"I wouldn't know, I was lying in some mud for the most part," Trevor said.

"I don't think I actually managed to kill any either. Like, after I woke up an' shit, But Carl and Bev were protecting us back then so we didn't have to fight," Ace said.

"I did. I fought beside Carl that night. I was so scared we were going to get killed, and then we somehow managed to get out of there. I'm not scared anymore, but I still wish I didn't have to fight." Roy sighed. "I think we'd better scarper before more of them come along. Good work, Brum."

"I did alright then? I felt a bit bad for knocking down all those people, but you said they were zombies right? So that makes it okay?" Brum said.

"Yeah, you're allowed to knock down zombies. Got some blood on you though. We'll clean that off before we get going. Wouldn't want to spoil your paintwork," Roy said, resting a hand on his bonnet.

"Oh dear. Yes, I should get cleaned up. Where are we going now?" Brum said.

"Wales. Cardiff, specifically. Get there any way you can. I have no idea what the roads will be like so maybe we'll meet in Chepstow or Newport and go on to Cardiff together. How does that sound?" Roy said.

"I'd avoid Chepstow. Haven't you heard about the flooding? You'll have trouble getting round there," Ace said.

"Where else can we meet then? Is there any way around it? We don't have much time," Roy said, trying to think of another route.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm just a werewolf. Just stay away from the river. It's not so bad up north where we've been, but the Severn's flooded badly. I'd write off just about anything within reach of it and the Wye, just to be on the safe side. And, y'know, steer clear of zombies," Ace said.

"Well, yeah, I was going to avoid the zombies. Well. Maybe we'll see how far we get down the M5 before we have to veer off west. The flooding will make it more difficult, that's for sure. Carl, Bev, stick to the west away from the river. You should be able to track us, right?" Roy said.

"Tracking you won't be a problem. Just be careful. Anything could be out there, not just zombies. I've been sensing some of the other creatures beginning to emerge," one of the wolves warned. Brum didn't know which was which. They both looked the same to him and no one had bothered to introduce him yet.

"Great. That's just what we need. Obviously whatever's summoned the zombies this time is powerful enough everyone else has noticed too. I hope they have the sense to keep their heads down. I don't think this is the time to be staging a supernatural war," Roy said. "Look, you get going and scout ahead. We'll follow and make our way to Cardiff."

The two wolves nodded and set off, running on all fours down the street. Brum watched them go, excited to be going on a journey. He was still a little excited from killing zombies, too. That had been fun, if a little scary. Still, they had shown no sign of wanting to eat him so perhaps he was safe. Maybe he would also be useful, too, if he could sneak around and not worry about being eaten. That might be a very useful thing to do, and then once the zombies were gone, the people could return and maybe he'd be back at home at the museum again sometime soon.

Brum helped them gather up a few more things and pack them into the back of the car. They wiped him down, cleaning all the blood from his windshield, before lifting him into the back where he'd been before. He liked that view. Soon enough, they were on their way to Wales.

* * *

Brum only half-listened to them talking in the car as they drove onwards, but he did get to take in the extent of the damage. On either side of the road, there were felled trees, broken power lines, crashed cars, and more dead bodies. Areas close to the river were flooded, and they passed many sodden fields. The water hadn't reached the motorway, at least where they were, but that might not be the case further down where the river was wider.

Roy had to pick a slow path through the debris, and there were times when he sounded somewhat frustrated at finding his path blocked. While the 4WD could go off-road if they needed it to, the fencing on the side of the road looked too dangerous to try and drive over.

As he watched the fields and the debris pass, Brum soon found the rhythm of the car was making him sleepy, and soon he let himself fall asleep, conserving his energy for the fight that was to come.

* * *

They were forced to stop outside Tewkesbury. The motorway was totally flooded and there didn't appear to be any way through. There was also a group of wet zombies clawing their way onto the motorway, struggling against the floodwaters. Roy swerving to avoid them woke Brum, who had to put his brakes on hard to stop himself being flung around in the back as Roy turned the car around and headed back the way they came.

"I don't think we'll make the bloody Severn Bridge, not with all that flooding. Better go the long way around," Roy swore, glancing back over his shoulder as he checked they weren't being followed.

"That storm's brewing again. I think we'd better find shelter first. Maybe he knows we're coming," Ace murmured as he gazed out the window at the oncoming storm.

Roy cursed again and Brum pretended he hadn't heard what he'd said. "Leave it to me. I'll get us there. We'll double back and go through Worcester. I hope to God it's not-"

"Don't you bloody dare, Roy. You're not jinxing this trip," Trevor said.

Roy brushed it off. "Oh, come on, I wasn't going to say anything like that. I was just, y'know, hoping we don't run into-"

"Roy, seriously, don't even think it. We've got enough going against us without you jinxing the whole thing, okay? Whatever we find out there, we'll deal with it, alright? Maybe we should avoid the big cities if there are still large groups of zombies about though. We're not some large army. We'd be overrun before we could escape," Trevor said.

"Might want to steer clear of the river too. You don't want to get caught in that floodwater, and if it's come up that bad round here, I doubt it's any better further down," Ace said.

"We actually have to cross the river, y’know. I can't just avoid it. If you're just going to sit there criticising, you can take over. I'll try to keep us as clear of zombies and flooding as I can, alright? Just shut up and let me drive," Roy said.

"I will when you stop being grumpy. We can't afford to argue about this now, okay? So just keep driving and skirt around the big towns if you can. Once we're across the river we'll be okay if we're careful. Just be ready to fight if we need to. There's no way of knowing what's really out there," Ace said.

As much as he wanted to, Roy found he couldn't really disagree with that logic, and they did stop for a short moment on the bridge to see just how far the flooding appeared to be spreading before taking off again.

* * *

It was slow going. It was one thing to skirt around the larger towns and try and stay away from the flooded rivers, but the roads weren't built that way and it wasn't always possible to avoid them completely. There were a few times when they had to stop and turn around because the road was blocked, or they found some zombies nearby. They never stopped unless there was no other choice. Stopping meant zombies could reach them. If they were moving, they could at least plough them down and move on.

It was not as direct a route as Roy would've liked, but he had no control over that. If the roads were flooded and impassable, well, that wasn't his fault. It meant doubling back and taking detours and going around the long way, any way, as long as it got them going where they needed to go.

Brum had grown quite chatty, having decided against trying to sleep again, and he was regaling his new friends with tales of all the adventures he'd had in the Big Town and what he'd got up to. Talking about it made him forget about the zombies and he could pretend he was going on a long adventure and that when they got back, things would be just as they were and he'd sneak back into the museum at the end of the day and the nice man wouldn't even know he'd been gone, just like always.

This all came to a halt as they approached a small town hugging the road. The roads weren't flooded, which had sped up their progress, and now the road was blocked by another group of zombies. They filled the road and shuffled towards them. Roy slowed the car down in time to give them enough room to turn around. He looked around for an escape route, but the town wasn’t much more than some houses beside the road, with a couple of access roads that unfortunately veered off the main road behind the zombies. If they wanted to turn off, they'd have to get past the zombies first.

"Well, what do we do now?" Roy said.

"Plough through them, that's what. Come on, they can't move that fast. What could go wrong?" Ace suggested.

"We could break the windshield, or, y'know, other parts of the car. That's hardly going to do us any good. Hitting bodies, even zombies, with a car usually doesn't end well," Roy said.

"Not if you're clever about it. 'Ere, shove over, I'll get us through," Ace said.

Roy climbed into the back, not without some difficulty as he didn’t want to leave the car if he could help it, and Ace took over, revving the engine as he drove towards the zombies. Roy found himself hanging on for dear life as they pushed their way through them, somehow managing to dodge around them and not get any direct hits. Their car was durable enough to withstand the torment without too much damage, though certainly there were a few more dents in the side than when they'd first set off.

Once they were free of the horde, they were free to continue on, and while some zombies did make a move to chase after them, they were hardly fast enough to catch up and they were soon left behind.

* * *

There hadn't been any sign of the two wolves since they'd left Birmingham, but they found them sitting by the side of the road as they approached Abergavveny. Ace pulled over and the wolves went over to meet them.

"How is it out there then?" Ace said.

"Newport's flooded, you'll have to go the long way round. There aren't any zombies, ironically the floodwaters have killed them, but you won't get through there in a car, not unless you have a death wish. We think it's fine the rest of the way, but there's no way of knowing. All I can tell you is that the zombies we've seen are moving towards Cardiff, so expect to see more of them," one of the wolves said. Brum was beginning to suspect only one of the wolves could speak but he had no way of confirming this.

"That's all we need. Are you going to go on ahead then?" Ace said.

"We'll escort you from here. I think we'll be more useful to you here than running on ahead," the wolf said.

"Well, you lead the way and we'll do our best to keep up. Let's see if we can't get there before nightfall," Ace said.

"You're on," the wolf said and Brum almost saw a competitive smirk on its face, as if it had accepted some sort of bet.

* * *

The last leg of their journey was much faster. Freed from flooded roads, all they had to contend with were zombies and the two wolves took care of them, at least making sure the road was clear enough for them to get through. They reached Cardiff just before nightfall, but it was never going to be that easy to get through. There had been more zombies around, clogging up the roads, hundreds and hundreds of them, all shuffling slowly through the dark deserted city. It took a while to find a clear path through to the castle. Parking in a side-street, they lifted Brum out from the back of the car, grabbed some weapons, and headed straight for the front gate.

Brum had never seen a castle so big before. It looked like it should have knights and archers manning it, but it was not so. Looking down Castle Street, the destruction was clear, with felled trees, broken windows and buildings, and smashed cars.

"Looks just like it did forty years ago. D'you think we'll be able to stop this?" Ace said.

"I bloody hope so. It'd be a damn shame to come all this way and lose, wouldn't it?" Roy said.

"What do you think we'll find inside the castle then? More zombies?" Brum asked as he noticed the front gate creaking open.

"I'd say zombies were a good bet. Come on, then. The battle begins,” Roy said.

Slowly, a decaying hand slipped around the doorframe and pushed it open. These zombies looked a bit more resilient than most of the others they'd seen, but they still looked like they could be killed. Brandishing their weapons, there was a moment of hesitation as they waited for the zombies to step into view before the fight commenced.

The wolves were the first into the fray, leaping forward to deal with as many of the horde as they could. Brum charged forward too, hoping to slip inside and see if he couldn't cut them off like he'd done last time.

It was hard to slip through them, there were so many of them now, and they did notice Brum trying to push through. They did not like this one bit, and Brum had to quickly manoeuvre out of the way so he wasn't crushed against a wall. The zombies couldn't eat him, he was quite sure of that, but that didn't mean he was untouchable.

For all his efforts, though, Brum couldn't get through. Wave after wave, there just seemed to be an endless stream of them, and as soon as it looked like the gate was free, the zombies just came flooding through again. It was then that Brum had a brainwave. He had noticed the coil of chain near the gate and had an idea. He went to get Roy's attention, smashing another zombie in the shins to enable him to decapitate him with a sharp axe.

"There's some chain over there, maybe we could use it to get through, bind them all together," Brum said, urging him to follow.

"What's that? What chain? Show me,” Roy said, swinging the axe again to decapitate another zombie.

Brum was quite excited by what he found and he had hoped Roy would see what he saw too. "Attach it to my bumper, I'll go around the other side, and we can trip them all up. That would slow them down enough to get past, wouldn't it?"

"You know, I think it might just work,” Roy said after a moment's thought.

It was all the time they had before another wave came. Roy didn't waste a second in attaching the chain to Brum's bumper, making sure it was secure before he sent him off. Brum drove quickly, darting between his friends and the zombies as fast as he could in order to get them all in. It possibly helped that there were countless other bodies clogging up the entrance way, but the chain did do its job, and the now-fallen zombies struggled to get to their feet. Quickly destroyed with gunfire, they finally had a chance to slip past into the grounds of the castle.

There didn't appear to be any more zombies, at least not that they could see. The grounds appeared empty, and the castle itself had taken some serious damage. The Old Keep in particular was crushed and in ruins. The cause of this destruction was made apparent when a large dragon emerged from the ruinous Keep. It was also some sort of zombie, its body decaying and rotten. It shook its head and a few pieces of flesh fell off. It pulled itself up from the rubble and glared at them, as if daring them to tell it why they had disturbed its slumber. It was as tall as the thick defensive outer walls, and its wingspan was massive.

"You," it said and moved off the Keep towards them. "You smell familiar."

"Yeah, and you smell like a rotting corpse. I've smelt sewage that smelt better than you," Ace said, crinkling his nose up in disgust.

The dragon narrowed its eyes. "I am a rotting corpse, but it matters not. You have used up all your lives here, you filthy humans, and now it is my turn. My minions will rule and they will succeed you."

"Right. So how is turning everyone into a zombie starting again? You've basically got the same people. Just, well, dead. Undead. Whatever it is zombies are," Ace said.

The dragon wasted no more breath on discussion as it roared at them, lashing at them with its tail. Trevor and Roy were knocked to the ground and Brum drove away quickly in fright. The dragon was angry, and it was quick. This would not be like fighting ordinary zombies.

Brum stayed back behind a tree, watching the battle. The wolves were doing quite well, latching onto its body and clawing away flesh, but it didn't appear to bother the dragon. Attempts to shoot at its head were unsuccessful, as the dragon was too quick and kept dodging out of the way.

Brum ventured forward, hoping he might be able to get underneath the dragon and help bring it down. Wondering if he might not be able to trip it as well, he charged forward. But before he could get there, the dragon gave another roar and a swish of its tail and Brum instead found himself flung through the air and crashing into a wall. Dazed and with a broken axle, Brum was going nowhere. He could only watch on as his friends fell to the ground, one by one, and the last thing Brum saw before he passed out was the dragon sending fire and lightning into the sky and the wolves howling in pain.

* * *

It appeared to be morning when Brum woke. He tried to move, but his axle was still broken. One of his wheels hung loose, threatening to fall off if he dared to try and move. He also discovered there was a crack in his windshield and his engine didn't want to start. Brum was determined to get moving, though, and he forced his engine to start and dragged himself over the lawn towards the bodies of his friends. They were just lying on the ground, still and silent. Brum was worried they might be dead and he hurried over as fast as he could.

The loose wheel fell off as he went, and it slowed his progress, but he came up as close as he could to one of the wolves and nudged him with his front bumper. The wolf didn't move at first, but did eventually stir. Shakily, he got to his feet and stretched before doubling over in pain. Brum hadn't noticed the wounds on its body, deep cuts and scratches in his dark fur, and the wolf whimpered as he lay down again, unable to remain on his feet.

"Are you okay? What happened? Where did the dragon go? Did we win?" Brum said urgently.

The wolf gave him a terrified look. The wolf didn't speak, but when he reached over and touched his bonnet with his paw, Brum was surprised that he could hear the wolf’s thoughts.

 _'Dragon... dragon left. No idea where it went. Think everyone's hurt. So many zombies. We couldn't hold them off forever,'_ the wolf sent.

 _'Why can't you speak then? Why can I only hear your thoughts?,’_ Brum sent back, curious about this mute wolf.

 _'Bev can speak, but I never learnt how. It was too hard. I've just got my thoughts now. I'm Carl. You must be our brave little car, Brum,'_ the wolf sent.

 _'Yes, yes, I am Brum! I was thrown against the wall during the fight. I have a broken axle and I can't go anywhere. Do you think there's anyone here who can fix me?'_ Brum sent.

 _'I don't know, I really don't know,'_ Carl the wolf sent. He sounded tired now, and he removed his paw, the connection severed. His eyes closed as he drifted into sleep.

Brum wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He tried moving over to the other wolf, but his broken axle caught against a clump of grass and he was stuck. His little engine was struggling to pull him free and his three wheels spun helplessly, doing nothing at all. With one final effort, he pulled himself free and he went flying across the grass, barely missing Roy’s head as he lay there slowly waking up.

"Oi, careful there, you'll do me an injury if you're not careful," Roy said as he sat up, though he wasn't sure if he was actually injured or just tired.

"Oh, sorry! I've got a broken axle and I've also lost a wheel. Can you fix it please? That dragon did me some damage and I can't fix it myself," Brum said, trying to turn around.

"I'll see what I can do. Where's your wheel then?" Roy said, slowly getting to his feet. He definitely thought he was far too old to be killing zombies. Sensible folk would have set up a fortress at home, stayed there til it was all over, but no, he had stolen a car and driven down here to stop the zombies, as if it was the sort of thing you could do in a day and still be home for supper. It wasn’t the first time he’d questioned his sanity.

"On the grass somewhere, it came off as I drove over to you," Brum said.

"Alright, alright, gimme a second," Roy murmured as he gazed about. After a quick search, he located the wheel and went to retrieve it.

"So can you fix it, Roy? I can't go anywhere without all my wheels," Brum said, trying to move again.

"I know, I know. Hey, Trev, you awake? I need you," Roy said, kneeling beside him as he tried to rouse him.

Trevor took a while to wake and he sat up, rubbing his head. "Is that bloody dragon gone? What the fuck happened?"

"No dragon. I don't remember anything after it bloody charged at us. C'mon, Brum's lost a wheel and I need your help to fix it," Roy said.

"This is officially the craziest road trip I've ever had, and we’ve had some damn crazy trips," Trevor said as he followed Roy back to where Brum was waiting.

Brum found himself turned on his side and he lay there asleep as they worked on him. When he woke, he was back on his four wheels and he was very pleased he was able to move about again. His wheels didn't get caught in the grass and as he drove around, he noticed everyone was awake now, sitting about on the grass.

"So what do we do now? Did we kill the dragon? Can we go home now?" Brum asked as he drove around.

"I doubt we killed it. It's obviously run off somewhere so we'll have to go hunting for it again. Anyone too hurt to move?" Roy said.

"I've buggered up my knee. I'll stay here, keep watch and all that," Ace said.

"Carl said he'll stay with him. The dragon might return here," Bev warned. He had a few cuts on his body too, but werewolves healed fast and they didn't bother him. Brum was just pleased he could tell the wolves apart now.

"Alright. Stay armed and keep an eye out for it. Get yourselves a fortress in case more zombies come. It'll be easier to defend than this giant castle," Roy said. "The rest of us'll look around town."

* * *

Leaving them behind, Brum drove ahead as they left the castle grounds and headed back into the street. They cleared a path through the bodies blocking up the entrance, though this was hardly the most pleasant task they’d ever had to do. The bodies, now properly dead, were rotting away and clearing them out of the way was difficult and quite disgusting. Brum helped push them aside, though it did get him all covered in filth. But it felt good to know there was now a path there and that they could easily escape back in there if need be.

The street looked like it had taken quite a lot more damage since they'd arrived. Buildings had been demolished and had spread rubble all over the streets. It looked like a war zone, with fires and few buildings left still standing.

"Well, there goes looking for the car then. Probably crushed under all that rubble," Roy said.

"So what's the plan now? I'm sure we should look for food before we tackle that dragon. I'm starved," Trevor said.

"I suppose that means heading down that way," Roy said, gesturing down past the bridge over the Taff. "Just like old times."

"The damage looks worse this time, though. I wonder if we'll find anything there at all," Trevor said.

"Won't know til we look, will we? Come on, let's get going. I don't like hanging around rotting corpses," Roy said.

Setting off down the street, they picked their way past the rubble, and even Brum found it fairly easy going. There was more destruction down the other way, leaving more room for him to get through. There were no fallen trees over the bridge; they seemed to have fallen away from the road, though there were still some branches and a couple of smashes cars to contend with.

They made it to the first block of houses and Brum and Bev waited outside while Trevor and Roy looked for food. Brum liked being a sentry. He kept a sharp eye out for anything that might be coming, though it appeared nothing was moving out there at all. The city was eerily quiet.

"Are things ever going to go back to the way they used to be? What's going to happen when we get back home again?" Brum asked.

"We keep surviving, that's what happens. Maybe we'll get back on our feet again, but I doubt it'll happen for a long time. Too many people have died. We may be too late to stop it spreading to Europe. This may be the end of human civilisation as we know it. What happens after this is anyone's guess. Maybe we'll never come back. Maybe we'll survive on until there's no one left and the planet will go on like it always does. Maybe another species will take over instead. It's hard to know. We don't even know if we'll kill this dragon," Bev said.

"Where will I go if I can't go back to the museum? It's the only home I know and it was damaged by the storms," Brum said, not sure he wanted to think about that.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find somewhere for you to live. Let's not think about that for the moment, though. We've got other problems," Bev said.

Brum thought that was fair enough and kept watching for trouble. A distant explosion sent a plume of smoke into the air, but it appeared to be far enough away it wouldn't trouble them. Bev prowled about, anxious to get moving again.

"Hey, Bev, got you something," Roy said as he and Trevor emerged from their search.

The wolf turned and grinned as he saw the rabbit carcasses he was carrying. "How did you find anything good in there? Surely it'll have been sitting there without power for days."

"For some bizarre reason, there's still power in this part of town, so it's still good. Here, take some to Carl while you're at it. Tell them to come here if they can. Might as well stay here if there's power. The water’s still good too, which is great, since we lost the last lot. Be a damn sight better than going without," Roy said.

"Right on it," Bev said. He took the meat and headed off back towards the castle.

Brum approached them. "So are we making another fortress? Also, can you help me up these stairs? I could help too."

"Come here then, we'll get you inside and all cleaned up. You're a right mess," Roy said.

Brum was lifted up the stairs and they carried him to the back garden where they gave him a good clean to get rid of the blood and the filth from the dead zombies. Brum still had a cracked windshield, and there were dents in his body, but he was still going, and now he was all nice and clean and didn't smell like zombie.

When Brum got back inside, he found the two wolves sitting in the lounge, devouring their food. Ace lay on one of the sofas, nursing his knee. Their weapons had been retrieved, and they sat in a pile against a wall as their fortress was secured. Brum didn't often go into houses and there wasn't much he could really help with now, so he found somewhere out of the way to sit and waited to see what might happen next.

Injuries were tended to, and food and drink consumed, and slowly, they recovered from the battle. No one really talked, except to try and figure out what exactly had happened. The dragon had attacked, they'd done their best to fend it off and kill it, but then something had happened, there had been lightning and fire and the wolves just remembered blinding pain before blacking out.

"That's all I remember. The fire and lightning. Right before my engine stopped. Everything went black. Was that when the dragon escaped?" Brum said hesitantly, not sure what to make of it.

"Maybe. Where do you think it went anyway? Do you think it's left Cardiff?" Ace said.

"Mate, it could've flown to Paris for all we know. At some point, we have to consider whether it's even worth chasing after it. We're not young anymore. We don't have the stamina we used to have. Maybe it's better to stay here where we might survive for longer than try and chase after it and end up dead," Roy said.

"Why would we stop now? It's not like we've seen anyone else around. No one else is going to kill that dragon. We might be the only ones who can. We might still be able to save half the globe if we manage to kill it. Isn't that worth fighting for? Since when did you get so cynical?" Trevor said.

"We're hardly an army, Trev. We're, what, two wolves, three old men, and a little yellow car. If this is the best the Universe can provide in the face of a zombie apocalypse, well, maybe we're not meant to succeed," Roy said.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe we will succeed. We won't know if we just sit in here eating ourselves to death," Ace said.

"What help can I be anyway? I'd just slow you down. There are no cars around so how am I supposed to go with you?" Brum said.

"I think it'll be easier to go on foot from here, though, what with all that rubble around. You won't get a car through that lot, assuming we can even find one that's still working," Ace said. "How bout we just scout to the edge of town, and if we don't see it, then we look for a car and go from there. It can't hurt, can it?"

"Alright, but we're taking as much as we can carry. We might not get back here again and it'd be stupid to just leave it here," Roy said.

"I can carry things! That would be helpful, wouldn't it? Then you wouldn't have to carry so much," Brum offered.

Roy smiled. "You certainly could. Well, if we're going to get out of here, we should get ready to go. How soon do we want to leave?"

"Not til I've had a nap, I don't think. I'm sure that bloody dragon hasn't gone far, not when there are still zombies about," Trevor said. "Can't you smell them? The streets are probably crawling with them now. We'll need all our strength to get past them."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Anyone want to keep watch? I wouldn't sleep for long, not while it's still dangerous out there," Roy said.

"I can keep watch. I don't need to sleep. I'll let you know if I see any zombies," Brum said.

"Alright. But don't try and fight them on your own, just come in and wake us, yeah?" Ace said.

"I can do that. You go rest. You must be very tired from fighting all those zombies," Brum said.

"Yeah, we're not as young as we used to be. Hey, are you even going to be able to walk, Ace? Your knee isn't that bad, is it?" Roy said.

"I don't know. Hurts like hell, though. Maybe we should look for transport then. Or I could just stay here and mind the fort," Ace said.

"I'll carry you. You're not that heavy, and we're hardly going far. I'm not going to just leave you here on your own. I'd rather you were with us so we can keep you safe. You can't hardly defend yourself if you're stuck here on your own," Bev said.

"You don't mind? I don't know how much help I'd be in a fight, but if you’re willing to carry me, I'll come with you," Ace said.

"I'll take a look at your knee once I've had a rest. Then we'll work out where we're going," Roy said.

There wasn't much else to talk about, and everyone made their beds on the ground floor, leaving them without a set of stairs to run down if they were attacked. They left enough room for Brum to get past and he took to driving around the house, watching for danger. Sure, he was only a small car, but he managed to find places where he could see outside without too much trouble, and he was good at hearing things too. He decided that if he heard anything suspicious, he'd wake his friends and they would be able to see if it was something worth worrying about.

* * *

It was dark when they woke. Brum had been very vigilant, and although there had been a few odd noises he'd heard, none of them appeared threatening so he'd felt safe enough. Brum was patrolling around the kitchen when Roy came in.

"Oh you're awake now! Hello, did you sleep well?" Brum said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I reckon. Probably not worth leaving now, though, not when it's dark. Here, I'll get some dinner going and we'll wait til tomorrow," Roy said as he headed into the kitchen.

Brum followed a little, keeping to the doorway of the small kitchen to keep out of his way. "Do you think we'll still find the dragon tomorrow? How are we supposed to fight it?"

Roy glanced down at him. "No idea, lad. Still thinking about that one. You got any ideas?"

"Can't you just kill it like the other zombies? Cutting off its head? It‘s a zombie too, isn't it?" Brum said after a moment's thought.

"It moves too fast. You saw it, didn't you? It's not a slow shuffling zombie, it's a ferocious fast-moving dragon that controls zombies. I've never heard of these sort of dragons before and I'm not sure if they have any weaknesses. Besides, they’re magical. You can’t just kill a dragon with a shotgun. You need something else that’s magical, but I have no idea where you’d even find something like that," Roy said.

"You want magical weapons? I reckon we should head back to the castle. I bet there’s something hidden underneath that old place," Trevor said, wandering in to join them.

Roy turned to face him, leaning against the bench. "You reckon we’d find something there? I’ve never heard of any magical weapons associated with the castle."

"Well, that's where the zombie apocalypse started last time, wasn't it? Maybe we'll find something that'll help us. We might even find another dragon or two. We are in Wales after all, and if there's one dragon, it's not hard to expect there might be more dragons, so maybe all we need to do is look for them," Trevor said.

"I'd think you were bonkers for suggesting that under normal circumstances, but that does make some sense. Well, we'll head over tomorrow morning. I don't want to wander the streets at night," Roy said.

"Sounds fine to me. What're you cooking then?" Trevor said.

"Um, I'm still deciding. You wanna go raid some of the other houses? We could do with whatever supplies we can get our hands on. It's not like we can just go down the shops and buy some more food," Roy said.

"Well, if Ace is up to walking, I'll take him with me and we can search the neighbouring houses, see if there's anything good there. We can do some recon while we're out there," Trevor said.

"Good idea. I'd sleep a little better if I knew there were no zombies about, that's for sure."

* * *

It was a strange evening. With the electricity still going, things almost felt normal. They did try the TV to see if anything was still on, but the networks appeared to be down. There wasn't even any radio, at least not that they were able to find. The house they were in had a computer, but it wouldn’t connect to the internet, leaving them cut off from the rest of the world. Scavenging had produced some more food, and a couple of guitars. It was better than nothing.

There were no zombies anywhere in sight. If they were still around, they were on the other side of the city, far away from them. Certainly the stench of rotting flesh was weaker now, giving them a break from potential attack. They had all agreed that spending the night in the house was a good idea; even if zombies weren't about, wandering dark streets at night was probably not a sensible idea. Instead, they sat around the lounge and Roy played quietly to break the silence. Brum liked hearing him play and it was a nice distraction from what was going on outside.

* * *

After taking some time to pack enough supplies for their journey and to hide away anything else that they might need if they have to come back, they set off the next morning, heading back towards the castle. The streets were eerily quiet and while there were clouds in the sky, they didn't look like storm clouds. Perhaps the storm was moving on, and Cardiff may be safer from now on.

The first thing they noticed upon entering the castle grounds was the Old Keep. What had appeared to be a pile of rubble the last time they were there was now rebuilt, as if no harm had come to it. Indeed, it appeared as if the castle had somehow fixed the damage it had sustained in the initial attack, as there seemed to be no sign of dead bodies either. They stopped just ahead of the main gate, taking in all they saw.

"We're heading for the Keep, aren't we?" Ace said.

"Well, considering it was a pile of rubble yesterday, I'd say that was a good idea, yeah," Roy said.

They crossed the grounds and headed up the stairs to the Old Keep, Brum being carried up by the two wolves. The wooden gate pushed open easily and they stepped inside the stone walls. What they found was a sleeping red dragon.

"I told you there’d be another dragon," Trevor whispered.

Roy went to reply but the dragon had woken. It turned to face them as it stood, taking a moment to shake the sleep away. It wasn't a very big dragon at all, no more than six feet tall, and its scales were varying shades of red, dull and leathery. Its wings were folded against its back and its tail was long and serpentine, curling around itself as the sharp arrow-headed tip lashed about like a whip. It observed them quietly as it approached, blowing small streams of smoke from its nostrils.

"Bit late to run now, I reckon," Ace whispered as it stopped a metre in front of them.

"Werewolves. And old men. What a strange combination of survivors. Are you all that's left?" the dragon said. Its ears twitched agitatedly.

"We haven't seen anyone else out there, so we must be it," Roy said, trying to hide his fear.

The dragon sniffed them once, twice, and paced around them. "You smell familiar."

"Yeah, the other dragon said that too," Roy said.

The dragon narrowed its eyes at them. "You have met the other dragon? How in all the known Universe did you get chosen?"

"Search me. We weren't even sure what we'd find down here. I just knew this was where the trouble started," Roy said.

The dragon thought a moment. "You were here before, weren't you? When they came the first time. That's why you smell familiar. You are immune."

"We’ve been in our wolf forms ever since that night. We were forced to change," Bev said.

The dragon approached them and circled the wolves, taking in their appearance. The dragon stopped in front of Ace and studied him for a moment. "You are a young wolf. Why are you not also changed?"

"How'm I supposed to know? We don't even know how it happened to them last time," Ace replied. "Haven't felt anything really. The wolf's sleeping, as far as I can tell."

The dragon paced again, as if thinking. It paced around the walls, its wings flapping as if it wanted to fly off but was still tied to the Old Keep. They watched in silence, not sure what this dragon even wanted.

When it returned, it held a sword in its mouth. Sitting down on its haunches, it removed the sword with one clawed hand and gazed over them again. The sword looked rather ornate and sat in a bejewelled scabbard, a light gold chain hanging off it.

"You are to have this. It will aid you. A dragon is a hard thing to kill without magic and you have no magic." The dragon pointed the sword at Roy. "You. The seer. You are to have it."

Roy hesitated in reaching for it. "Me? Why me? I don't know how to use a sword. I'm too old for this anyway. I'm hardly a seer, I just know how to read cards, it's not really-"

"You are to take it. You dream, yes? That is how you knew to prepare. Take the sword. Watch for the dove," the dragon said.

Roy decided against replying and took the sword. The scabbard felt warm to touch and he drew the blade slowly. Once freed, it burst into flames, glowing brightly as they danced around the blade. "Is it supposed to do that?"

"The flame will kill the dragon if you cut off its head, and this accursed apocalypse will be halted. Nothing can be reversed, but it can be stopped. Head north. That is all the assistance I can give you. If you survive, return to the castle. This sword is being leant to you for this purpose and it is on your honour to return it. Leave it in the stone box at the far end of the Keep. Take nothing with you and do not look back as you leave," the dragon said.

"How far are we going to have to go? You know we don't have a car. Are you expecting us to walk the whole way?" Roy said.

"Of course you have a car. What is that little yellow thing beside you, if not a car?" the dragon said, noticing Brum hiding back behind the others. "You, come forward."

Brum was quite frightened of the dragon. It was much bigger than him and he was quite sure those claws would do him some terrible damage.

"This is the last thing I will do to assist you. The magic will last as long as it's needed and then you will return to your normal form," the dragon said before blowing fire over the little car.

Brum did not like this one bit and he was very shocked to find himself growing bigger, but no matter how much he cried out, it did not stop until he was a shining new full-size car. All the dents in his body were gone, as was the crack in his windshield. It was as if he was brand new again.

"That will get you where you need to go. Now, set off before it's too late. There's no time to delay," the dragon said.

Before Brum could reply to the dragon, it had vanished, flying up into the sky above them. He was much bigger now, and his body felt much heavier. He revved his engine and drove around the old keep, getting used to being so large. Returning to his friends, he was both excited and shocked.

"Oh my wheels and wipers! What's happened to me? I'm all big now! How am I going to get down? You can't carry me anymore," Brum said.

"I'm sure you could manage that hill now that you're bigger. Come on, have some fun with it," Ace said, patting his bonnet.

Standing aside to give him room to pass, Brum passed his friends as he left the Old Keep and headed for the stairs, but instead of bumping his way down them, he found himself floating on air as he drifted slowly down to the ground. He wasn't sure he liked flying either. He was happy to have his wheels back on solid ground.

His friends ran to him and Brum couldn't understand why they were so excited about him being able to fly. They climbed inside, the wolves remaining by his side, and Brum had to get used to someone sitting in the driver's seat. It felt very weird indeed. He felt very heavy now, and he wasn’t at all used to having to move about with so much weight.

"Alright, you two scout ahead, we'll follow. Watch for that dove he mentioned, yeah? Hey, reckon you can break down that gate at the back? Might be a good way to avoid half the rubble in town out there," Roy said.

"We'll get right on it," Bev said and he and Carl ran off to the back gate.

"Do let me know if this is hurting at all," Roy said as he revved Brum and followed the wolves across the grounds towards the back gate.

After some serious pushing, the door gave way, and Brum found he easily slipped through the deceptively narrow passageway. Out of the castle grounds, they drove through the park to find the road before heading off to slay the zombie dragon.

* * *

They saw no more zombies until they were approaching the hills surrounding the city. Groups of them seemed to be coming from all directions, shuffling down the roads towards each other. They were going north, which seemed to be a good sign that they were heading in the right direction. They stopped for a moment, considering where they should go. Carl and Bev met them at the intersection.

"Head north towards Caerphilly. The dragon's set up camp in the middle of another old castle. Zombies everywhere, though, so get your weapons ready. This will get bloody," Bev said.

"Reckon you can drive us on your own, Brum? It'd be handy to have all three of us shooting," Roy said.

"I think so, though I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be going," Brum said.

"Stick with me, I'll lead you there," Bev said. Brum didn’t notice the white dove hovering behind him, ready to guide the way.

Revving his engine, Brum followed Bev down the road. He had to work hard as they soon met some zombies and he had to steer around them while still making sure his friends could fight them. They had to double back a few times when the zombies were too many in number to plough through. The rifles made an awful noise, Brum thought, but they did seem to be effective in killing the zombies. His paintwork was getting all covered in muck again, but he decided there were other more important things to worry about.

The dragon soon came into sight, perched on the castle walls. Zombies were filling the streets, preventing them getting too close. Driving around, they found an opening near the western side of the castle and Brum parked as close as he could, picking a side street that offered some sort of protection if he had to hide there. He didn't shrink when his friends got out and he wondered what help he might be.

Their entrance was noticed, and the zombies slowly turned to face them, shuffling towards them. There seemed to be no clear path through them anymore. Roy unsheathed the sword he'd been given, watching it erupt in flames again.

"So, how do we get through there? If we don't get through quick enough, they'll close in on us," Roy said.

"Maybe I could help. I'm big now. I can knock them over much easier," Brum said.

"I don't know. The closer we get, the sooner that dragon will notice us. We need the advantage here or we'll get knocked about again," Ace said.

"Is there any way we can get a better view of the area? If we could find the best way through, that might save us some time," Roy said.

"Give us a minute then," Bev said, eyeing the building across the road. It looked like it was possible to climb up to the roof.

"I don't think we have a minute. They're getting closer," Trevor said. "It's the car or nothing, I think."

"Or a tragic death by a thousand zombies. I vote we take the car," Ace said.

"All of us? We're still quite capable of ripping through them. They're no match for us. Maybe we can help clear the path towards the castle," Bev said.

"Alright then. We'll go in the car. You take a side and help clear the way. If the dragon notices - well, I'll think about that when it happens," Roy said.

"We got enough ammo then or are we smashing skulls in by hand?" Trevor said.

"Who cares? We have other things if the bullets run out. Now let's get moving," Roy said.

Taking their positions, they waited a moment to find the right place to attack before moving forward. The two wolves proved quite efficient at knocking them down, and Brum charged forward, going faster than he'd ever gone as he knocked down any zombies that got in his way.

Brum couldn't see very clearly, there were too many people in the way, but he kept an eye on the two wolves and made sure he was keeping up with them. There was no time to stop and kill each one, just push through and keep moving.

They were lucky to find an opening and Brum zoomed through and onto the grass, pushing zombies back into the moat surrounding the old castle. He managed to put his brakes on in time to stop himself before he too followed the zombies into the water.

And then it was quiet. The dragon had finally taken notice and roared at them as it prepared to attack. The zombies surrounding them kept back, as if afraid of getting in the way of the dragon. Roy, Ace and Trevor got out of the car and stood beside the two wolves. There they were, waiting on the grass while across the large moat sat the dragon on the castle wall.

Ace reloaded, watching the dragon. "So, what happens now?"

Roy glanced at the flaming sword in his hand. It had proved quite adept at killing zombies, setting them on fire. It left the zombies in a staggering confusion: keep attacking or run for the water surrounding the castle. Most, in the end, chose to flee, the last remnants of their humanity forcing them to plunge themselves into the water.

The dragon considered them, sizing up its opponents. The fate of the zombies was ultimately unimportant. The stench of burning flesh surrounded the castle and the dragon spread its wings agitatedly. It would waste no more breath on talking to those who wanted to kill it. It would wipe them out again if necessary and finish its mission.

Just as Roy went to speak, the dragon took off and flew towards them, landing on the grass hard as it stood over them, roaring and swishing its tail.

Roy brandished his sword as he gazed around, looking for some sort of advantage. "We shoot it down. Move onto that island and destroy the bridges. That'll save us from zombie attack while we try to kill that dragon."

There was a short pause before the dragon roared again and charged at them, determined to beat them at last. It was faster this time, dodging their attacks as they tried to stop it. The bullets went right through its body, and only served to make the dragon angrier. Bev and Carl circled around the dragon, trying to find a way through, but they were knocked to the ground. Brum, too, found it hard to sneak underneath and try to trip it up.

It was when the dragon began breathing fire, setting the grass alight, that they found their opening. Drawing it towards the island and away from the fire, Bev and Carl attacked, climbing onto its back. Brum charged forward onto the island, heading underneath the dragon while Roy sliced at the dragon’s belly. The dragon screamed and tried to shake off its attackers, but to no avail. Carl and Bev were not moving, and they managed to rip off one of its wings, throwing it into the water.

The dragon reared, but with only one wing, its balance was off and it became possible to overpower it, forcing it to the ground. It struggled, and lashed out at anyone who came anywhere near it, but Brum helped them tie its limbs up so Roy could finally behead it. It hissed and cried out as it died. Finally its body was allowed to rot away.

The magic broken, the zombies slowly fell to the ground, devoid of life. The dragon's rotting corpse began to smell even worse than it had before. With one last effort, they pushed the dragon's body into the water. Everything was quiet again, and the clouds in the sky began to lighten, just a little.

"Well, I'm knackered. How bout you?" Roy said, sheathing the sword.

"I hope this really is over now. I don't think I've got it in me to do this again," Trevor said.

Bev struggled to stand, not used to walking on human feet. He stumbled a little and steadied himself against a nearby tree trunk. "Hey guys, I'm human again. Um, anyone got a coat they could lend me? I’m freezing.”

“Well, I never thought I’d have you back again. Here, warm yourself up,” Roy said, offering him his coat.

“Thanks.” Bev pulled it on and looked around for Carl. He found him lying beside Brum, naked and somewhat dazed. "Hey, you alright?"

Carl hadn't realised he'd become human again and he didn't notice until he opened his eyes and tried to get up. His body worked all wrong and he couldn't remember how to speak. Bev helped him up and Carl leant against him, a hand resting on Brum's bonnet. A weak telepathic link existed between them still, and Brum was also able to hear Carl's voice in his head too.

 _'I'm - am I human?',_ Carl sent, exhausted from the fight.

"Yeah, I'm assuming we look like scruffy old bastards, but human we are. Must've been the dragon stopping us changing back. Now that it's dead, we're ourselves again. Pity. I'll miss being a wolf all the time. It was rather fun," Bev said.

Carl found himself limping as they approached the others. Everything hurt. Roy brought him into a gentle hug and he began to realise how much he'd missed him. They found a rug in Brum’s boot and Carl wrapped it around himself eagerly, wanting to be warm.

"Carl wants to go back to Cardiff. We might camp there til we feel up to heading home again, yeah?" Bev suggested.

"I'm assuming he's sending you his thoughts still. Can't he talk?" Ace said.

"I think he's forgotten how to talk, but it might come back to him in time. We'll both have to readjust to being in human form again, and then wait til the full moon to see if we change again like we used to do," Bev said.

 _'The full moon can go fuck itself,’_ Carl sent, giving them a weak smile.

Bev decided not to pass on that message. Brum was waiting for them still and he was pleased to be going home again. It was a tighter squeeze this time, but they all managed to fit, with Carl nursed by Bev and Trevor in the back seat. Without looking back, Brum started his engine and they headed back to Cardiff.

* * *

There was a sense of calm as they drove back. With the zombies no longer a threat, they could relax. There was no need to fight, just navigate around the bodies and get back to the castle in one piece. They didn't see the red dragon when they arrived at the castle. Parking at the base of the Keep, they got out of the car, and Brum slowly shrunk back down to his proper size. He wasn't sure if he was happy to be so tiny again. He'd been quite useful when he was big, but he couldn't carry them anymore, not like a proper car could. Now they'd have to carry him everywhere and find some other way of getting home.

Carl sat on the grass, Bev by his side, still too tired to stand. He was still getting used to being human again, and his body wasn't working like it used to. He wasn't sure he even remembered how to be human anymore after so long living as a wolf. He couldn't remember how to speak, he knew that much, and he was quite sure any literacy he had was gone. He'd never needed it as a wolf, so why remember it when he had to spend all his energy looking for food, trying to survive and keep hidden?

"Stay here, will you? I'll just go leave this back where it came from. Think about how we're going to get back home, hey?" Roy said, giving them a parting smile as he headed up into the Keep.

"So how are we getting home then? What are our chances of finding a car that's still driveable, let alone one that'll take us all? We're not leaving little Brum behind, and when we were scouting around before, we didn't see any. They've all been smashed or buried under rubble," Bev said.

"What's left, then? If we can't find any sort of car, are we stuck here? We can't just take the train back," Ace said.

"No, but we might be able to sail back. Carl and I never checked the docks. Maybe a boat or two survived. If we can make it to Worcester, we could get into the canals and get right back home again. Besides, you saw the roads. Do you want to try driving all the way up there with the roads like that? It was hard enough getting down here. It'll be worse now. We can't just mow them down anymore," Bev said.

"Do any of us know how to sail? We've gotta get down the river first before we tackle the canals," Trevor said.

"No, we've got to find a boat first. I mean, I see yer point an' all, but we're not hardened sailors. You reckon we can get down there?" Ace said.

"I reckon it's worth a shot. If we find a boat, we might as well try. We might be okay if we stay near the coast while we get past the two bridges," Bev said. "It's that, or try to find a working car amongst this wreck of a city, and I suspect the docks might be our best bet," Bev said.

"I suppose it's worth a look, at least. Be easier to get Brum back home if we had a boat. Easier than trying to find a car he'd fit in, that's for sure," Trevor said.

"I like the idea of a boat. I've never been in a boat before," Brum said. He had moved over beside Carl, if only to try and cheer him up. Carl rested a hand on his bonnet and smiled.

"We'll go look down the docks later then and see if any ships survived. We might even find some people now that the zombies are properly dead," Bev said.

Ace looked sceptical. "You reckon we'll still find people out there?"

"Oh, I reckon we will. We're good at surviving. I'm sure they're the sensible ones who bothered to go find bunkers to hide out in while we ran off in a valiant attempt at stopping the Apocalypse. It's any wonder _we_ survived," Bev said.

"We're stubborn old bastards, that's why. How'd you think I made it this far? You were so sure I'd never make it all those years ago," Ace said.

"There weren't any zombies all those years ago. You were driving yourself mad back then," Trevor said.

"Yeah, then those zombies came along and finished the job for me. That was nice of them, wasn't it?" Ace said with a smile.

Trevor wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, they're just so giving, those zombies. Such generous souls."

"What's this about generous zombies? You figured out how we're getting home, then?" Roy said, approaching the group.

"Bev reckons we should find a boat, sail up the Severn. I reckon he's gone daft," Ace said.

"Us? Sailing? You have gone mad. All those years as a wolf, it's wrecked your brain. What makes you think we can sail?" Roy said.

"Well, it's that, or try to navigate the roads all the way back home, which are most likely covered with dead bodies. That's assuming you can find a car in this city that's not a pile of wreckage," Bev said.

"That bad, huh? Well, maybe it's worth a look. Come on, then, let's go home and get you something to wear," Roy said.

* * *

Leaving the castle behind, they retreated to the flat they'd commandeered for rest and food. The power was still on, by some miracle, but the light bulbs were flickering ominously, suggesting it might not last much longer.

They agreed on a plan. They'd pack everything they could scavenge from the houses in the few surrounding streets, food, water, clothes, anything that could be useful that they could carry. They weren't just packing for the journey, they were packing for their future survival. Unsure what they'd find back in Birmingham, they'd decided that if all else failed, they'd find somewhere to bunker down together and stick it out as long as possible.

Tomorrow, they would head down the docks and look for a boat, but for the moment, they had other things to do. Brum helped as much as he could, carrying things back from the houses to their base. He was getting excited again. There was another adventure to be had, this time on a boat, and Brum would finally be going home.

Brum had missed his home. He had left the museum in a ruinous state and he had no idea if the nice museum man would be there when he got back. He wasn't sure what he'd do if there was no museum man to look after him. Maybe he'd have to stay with his new friends. He didn't think he'd mind that too much, but he would miss the museum. The other old cars there never really talked to him, but he had become quite fond of having them around him as he slept. It would be strange indeed to be the only one who survived. As he settled down to sleep that night, however, he decided not to think about this and dreamed of boats and canals and all the adventures he'd had so far.

* * *

They spent the next day down at the docks. Ace and Carl stayed behind to guard their supplies, and Brum wanted to stay with them as he quite liked Carl, leaving Bev, Roy and Trevor to go look for a boat. Carl still hadn't spoken, but at least he was walking a little better, even if he needed Ace by his side. Brum watched him curiously as he came down the stairs and headed into the front room. Ace sat him down and went to make tea. Brum approached and nudged his leg gently.

"Are you going to be okay? Maybe you should be a wolf again. You seemed to like that," Brum said.

Carl managed a weak smile. _'I wish I could, but it doesn't work like that. 'm not used to being human again. Still feels weird. I'll have to learn how to do everything all over again.'_

"I didn't know being a werewolf could do that to you. It must be quite scary," Brum said.

 _'Scary's only half of it. The nightmares I could do without, though. I wonder when this telepathic link will be severed. It's never lasted this long when I'm not a wolf,_ ’ Carl sent.

"Maybe that wolf is still inside you, trying to transform again, so maybe that's why it's still there," Brum wondered. He noticed Carl's voice sounded very soft and distant, as if it was fading away.

 _'The wolf's always inside me. It's me, but it isn't me. It's really hard to explain. I-'_

Brum nudged his leg again, wondering if he'd complete his thoughts, but Carl didn't send anything more, or if he did, Brum couldn't hear him.

"Oh dear. I can't hear you anymore. Are you still speaking to me?" Brum said.

Carl just looked at him and Brum heard nothing more. Brum didn't know what to do, but then Ace returned with the tea and he backed off so he didn't trip over him. Ace sat beside Carl on the sofa, and Carl drank slowly. He still didn't like the taste of tea, but he knew he'd have to get used to it again. Cravings for raw meat weren't sustainable and he was quite sure he might be sick if he tried. Only the wolf could stomach raw meat.

Neither of them talked, and Brum thought they might be talking in their minds again, though why they could still talk that way and Brum couldn't wasn't apparent. Brum just backed off and left them to it, looking for something else to do.

* * *

Roy, Bev and Trevor arrived back at sunset, pleased with the day's achievements. While they hadn't had any luck down at the docks, they had found some serviceable boats further down by a smaller river, and there seemed to be enough boats that they could all head up the Severn together.

Brum thought this was very exciting. They had decided to do one last day of scavenging in the city before heading off to the boats to head off up the river and go home. He was so excited to be going home, he barely slept that night, and kept imagining what it would be like to sail on the river and go home. When he did sleep, he dreamt of home, and going back to the museum, where he would be safe and sound again, just like it used to be.

* * *

The next day was very busy. Brum had offered to guard the boats they'd selected so that no one would come and steal them when they weren't looking. He thought it important to guard the boats. Carl was with him too, and though they couldn't talk in their minds anymore, Carl was beginning to attempt speech and Brum liked teaching him words and when he wasn't doing that, he was telling him stories to cheer him up.

By lunchtime, they had all they needed, and headed back to where Brum and Carl were waiting. They had more gear than they could carry, and Brum returned with Ace to their little house to collect the last of their things. Brum was still very excited and he nearly fell into the marina as they were heading down to where their boats were.

They'd been lucky to find three sailboats, and some decent oars, which would save them rowing the whole way. After a practice run just off shore, they were mostly confident they could sail the boats without too much difficulty. All that was left to do was pack everything between the three boats and set off.

* * *

The journey up the river to Worcester took the good part of five days. Brum saw all kinds of exciting things, and he liked driving around the abandoned towns to give his engine a run again. He couldn't really do that on the boats and he missed it. They kept scavenging when they could, and when they found other smaller groups of survivors, they had plenty to barter with and Brum liked making new friends. Sometimes, they sat around a fire together, all the survivors that were left, and shared whatever food they had with them. There were offers to help with a bit of rebuilding if they needed it before they set sail again, and Brum liked being helpful again.

The towns that had been flooded as the zombie apocalypse had begun were now drying out, and the damage was becoming more apparent. Silt, sand and mud covered half the buildings and the roads, and with no one to clean them up, it just sat there. Trees had been damaged or felled, and it was easy to tell which houses had escaped as they were on marginally higher ground, or just miraculously lucky.

The undamaged houses were where they mostly found survivors. They hadn't all come from that town, but had looked for any shelter they could find anywhere that wasn't damaged. That the zombies had been stopped was great news, and Brum quite liked telling them how he'd helped kill the zombie dragon. He'd been a brave little car, and he was quite proud of it. In one town, one kid made him a medal out of some plastic and string and hung it around his bonnet.

Worcester itself had proved quite resilient. It had taken comparatively less damage and there were more survivors there. Going ashore, they found a small cottage to camp in while they rested and looked for a way to Birmingham. Brum didn't mind. He had another new city to explore, and he enjoyed himself immensely as he went around greeting the survivors and telling them tall tales about zombie dragons and everything else he'd seen during his adventures.

It took two days to procure a boat and enough fuel to get them home. They'd traded away their sailboats for other things, and lightened their load just a little, to make sure everything they carried was going to be of use to them.

Brum didn't like the narrowboat though. It was even smaller than the sailboats and he couldn't move around at all. It was quite boring, and they went very slowly, and eventually, Brum fell asleep, telling them to wake him once they got home again. He kept dreaming of the old museum, hoping and wishing it would still be there when they got back.

* * *

When Brum was woken, it was dark, and he was sitting on a pier in the middle of the city. He looked around, wondering where he was. It took him a moment to realise they were unloading, stacking their things beside him.

"Oh, are we home now? Please tell me we're home. It's too dark to see where we are," Brum said, driving around a little to see if he recognised anything. His headlamps didn’t light up anything that looked familiar.

"Yeah, we're home. Listen, we're gonna bunk down somewhere tonight and I'll take you home tomorrow, yeah? How does that sound?" Roy said.

"Sounds good to me! I can't wait to get home again. I wonder if the museum will have been fixed by now. The museum man might have come back and I've been gone such a long time," Brum said.

"I don't know what we'll find there, but you're welcome to stay with us if there's nothing left when we get there," Roy said.

"Well, I don't know anyone else, so staying with you would be nice if my home has been destroyed," Brum said.

"Alright, come and carry some things for us. We'll see what's left that's still habitable," Roy said.

Brum liked that and he carried what he could as they left the canals and headed down the road. There was a hotel next to the canals, but the lobby was a mess and there were corpses lying around. Perhaps not ideal.

It took a few more streets to find somewhere to stay. They settled on a small hotel. The fact there were other people there too made up their minds. It was safe, and there was even news of aid from Europe that was on its way to the UK to help any survivors that could be found. There was hope after so much terror.

Claiming their rooms from what was left, they settled in for supper and bed. Brum appreciated having somewhere new to roam around in, and he did so until he was told off by several people on the floor they were on to be quiet and he quickly returned to Roy's room to sleep and wait til he could go home the next day.

* * *

Brum was very excited to get going the next morning. He wanted to know if the museum was still there and if he would have a home to go to. He'd slept very well indeed and had had some wonderful dreams. He was also very tired of adventuring, at least for the moment, and he missed his home very much. He felt he'd seen enough adventure for a lifetime. He wanted his old life back, where he would spend every day exploring the Big Town with his friends and having much less exciting adventures.

Brum had to wait til Roy was up before he could get out and say goodbye to everyone else. He'd enjoyed meeting them and promised he would come and visit again. He made sure to say goodbye to Carl and promised he'd come back and teach him some more words.

Brum was glad to be going home. He drove beside Roy, telling all about the museum where he lived, and what he always saw on his way into the Big Town. Nothing could shake his excitement and he was sure he'd find the museum man again and things would go back to how they used to be.

He got very excited as they crossed the park and went past the duck pond and headed round towards the bridge that led to the old motor museum. Brum was very pleased to see it hadn't fallen in a heap of rubble. It was still standing. Roy followed him as he drove round the back to the door he usually snuck in through and found some men hard at work rebuilding the roof.

Brum stopped suddenly as he saw the museum man come into view from inside the workshop. He drove over to him excitedly, glad to see him again.

"I just knew you'd be here! I've had such strange adventures!" Brum said.

"I take it he's one of yours?" Roy said, coming over to them.

"I did wonder where the little scamp had gone. We didn't find him in the wreckage and I thought he'd been stolen. Has he been with you all this time?" the museum man said.

"Yeah, he has. We've been to Cardiff and back. He's been a very brave little car," Roy said.

"I've been fighting zombies, and dragons, and I've been in a boat up the river. It's been very exciting," Brum said.

"Yes, and your paint's in need of a polish. Come on, I'll get you cleaned up. Thanks for bringing him back. All the kids love seeing him. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him in the museum. We'll rebuild, alright, and bring back this city to how it used to be," the museum man said.

Roy shook his hand. "Good luck with that. If you need a hand, Brum knows where to find us. I'd best be getting back We'll catch up again, I'm sure."

"I look forward to it. Good luck to you too, whatever you plan to do now," the museum man said.

"We'll keep on surviving, as long as we can. Word is we've got help on the way from the Continent. That'd certainly make things a lot easier," Roy said.

"You're not wrong there. Not much going 'round now, is there? Anyway, we'd better get this little guy all cleaned up so he can go on show again," the museum man said. "It's been nice meeting you."

"Nice to see you too. You be a good car now, Brum," Roy said.

"Oh, I will. I'm always good," Brum said.

Roy waved goodbye as he left and Brum tooted his horn as he followed him as far as the gate. Excited to be home again, he turned and drove back to the museum man and followed him into the workshop where he was given a very thorough cleaning.

Brum's medal for killing all those zombies was tucked in the back, and the museum man found it and set it on the bench as he polished his paintwork. Brum was home and the museum man was there to look after him. Things could only get better from now on. He would go back to exploring the Big Town again, just like he used to.


End file.
